[Audiophiliac]

I needed a power cable for my amp, I was just using a stock one. So I decided to start with the $50 big fat one that at least has cheap shielding on it also, from Amazon. It improved my amp's performance outstandingly. So I got the same cheap ones for my dac, pc, and monitor, and each one improved each of those components, also. They all got deeper and more detailed with their outputs.
However, since my improvements must only be from getting the big fat versions of what still must be cheapo on the purity of metal scale, I'm wondering if I've shot myself in the foot somehow, until I get a big fat high purity cable instead? It kind of sucks thinking that purity of metal will improve things further, but then again, that should be even better, sorry to my wallet.
I guess I'm hoping someone with the experience will tell me how the thinner $200 cable from a name brand audio cable co. will sound different than my big fat cheap Chinese cable does. I know, the purity of a big fat $50 cable is not there, there has to be an improvement caused by purity, but I only got the fatness upgrade (and cheap shielding, also), and it did a lot, so I must lose something after that until I get something just as fat again, right?
Woes. That's the way I'm skeptical about upgrading my BJC ic's, too. They get into skinny purity, for quite some dollar's distance, after those.
At least I did it right for my HD800 cable when those first came out. I went straight for the big fat uber-expensive high purity one from Double Helix Cables, thinking my HD 800's will last. With the eq plugin from Sonarworks, it's true, too. I will replace my HD800's with lightly used HD800's, not even the 800 S's. But the rest of my cables are probably a joke to the people with my same HD800 cable. So, hopefully someone will tell me how thinner $200 cables will sound like they beat my $50 fat Amazon and BJC cables. I believe they could, yet since mine only improved over stock due to their fatness, won't I also be losing something until I get something just as fat? OK, BJC says there's a little more to theirs than just the fatness, but I don't know how to try them for myself to decide without just buying some to try, besides asking you fine people with the right ideas about wanting to improve your audio gear, who have hopefully already had the experience with what I'm looking for.
Have I shot myself in the foot somehow by starting my power cable improvements with some still cheap for big fat ones joy?
Oh, and in case your pc is plugged into a $20 power bar, get it off of that right now. Your audio and video digital outputs are actually much deeper than that. The better power cable for your pc will do more of the same, too. The problem is, you probably only have 2 outlet pairs in your living room, and have a complete separate-component stereo system. Your amp plugged directly into the wall's giant power source will be more important than the clean power everything likes anyways, so that will leave 3 jacks free. The $250 power distributors will cause little detriment to your gear, while boasting about spike filtering, and should be ok until you complain about not getting a perfect and noise free sine wave for all your gear. Then you'll be stuck with $2000 minimum, and the probably longest cable you'll need for that thing to the wall will have an effect on everything plugged into it.
But, please get into the nitty gritties about how >$50 cables will improve things more than my $50 fat ones did. I'm not going to spend more than $200 for a power cable or IC, yet, in case that matters to the argument. Probably, because someone will be selling big fat 8N ones.
TYIA

 

[msing539]

There's a thread for AliExpress cables you might find interesting. When we all started buying those, they were cheap--now they've gone up a ton, but still in your budget.

I run knock-off Odin 2 cables for everything, except I have one genuine Nordost cable coming out from my DAC.

For power conditioning/distribution, I use the PS Audio Quintessence.

 

[bixby]

@Audiophiliac

I have a few decades of power cable experience. From name brand mid priced stuff ($300-$500) to high priced DIY stuff. My observations and experience is that the wire purity is not so important and I have actually settled on 14 gauge good copper for my power cables. The big thing to me is the shielding. So after fancy purity wire with high prices I have settled on Supra cable.

The second most important thing for me is the connector. I despise rhodium, not a fan of silver. I prefer copper, copper plated or bare brass if on a budget. I use Furutech copper connectors. Last is the guage, but having used everything from 9 gauge to 14, I prefer 14, tighter more refined and just as deep bass and better highs than the heavy stuff. If you can strip a wire you can build a cable, and a great one for not much more than about $120 or so.

And as far as conditioners go, I had my share of them, the best being the Haley, but now all audio stuff goes into the wall (with better than $1 outlets), computer and network stuff into an isolation transformer based conditioner.

EDIT: BTW- My experience with BJC LC-1 was poor. The RCAs I owned are a way over rated budget cable in my opinion.

Good luck with your journey.